Starting to see you
by S-Bumblebee
Summary: After the events of 'Hunter's Moon' Vigilante gets a call from Shayera who wants to talk. Oneshot


**An/ Now this caught me by surprise. This oneshot developed as I worked on a request from _'CharmedSerenity' _for a 'Love and Justice' drabble focused on Shayera and Vigilante. Now I discovered that as I wrote that I just kept going with it and this is what I now have. As a commited HG/GL shipper I was surprised by how easy it was to write these two interacting together and I may in future write one or two more pieces. **

**Anyway this is set after 'Hunter's Moon' and contains references to the episode. **

**I of course neither own Justice League or its characters. **

**Hope you like this CharmedSerenity :)**

Starting to see you.

If he hated anything it was sitting in the medbay for who knew how long when he didn't really need to be there, this is why the call he got from Hawkgirl was a welcome relief. Now Vigilante found himself heading towards the observation deck of the Watchtower, limping slightly from the plasma wound to his shin. Not for the first time he wondered why she had called and asked him if he could meet her, it seemed rather strange, she didn't really seem the talkative type, he couldn't honestly recall seeing her talking to anyone except the founders on rare occasions.

At last reaching the observation deck his leg slightly sore from the trek, Vigilante took a casual look around, it was empty up here, a single platform at the highest point of the tower, very few Leaguers came up here. Using a finger to tilt his hat up to provide a clearer view, he finally spotted her.

Off to the far side and standing in front of the largest observation window stood Hawkgirl, for a moment he looked at her, really looked at her, maybe he wouldn't admit it but she was very pretty. Making his way over to her, he realised that she must have detected his presence as her wings noticeably shifted, as well as her head which tilted ever so slightly so that she could catch sight of him in her peripheral vision. Slowing he came to a stop beside her and looked down out of the window at what it was that had her so enthralled. Down below the Earth turned slowly, glimmering like a polished marble against a silky canvas.

"Beautiful, ain't it?" Vigilante asked her gesturing to the orb below, his hat still tilted up casually.

Her eyes shimmered with something and he heard her sigh as if breathing was a challenge "Yes...it is."

For a time they remained in silence watching the planet below. With his leg still sore Vigilante gently alternated his feet, his shin throbbing in protest at having to stand for so long and if he were a less patient man he might have insisted that she explain why she wanted to speak with him, but for the time being he was happy to wait. It wasn't like he had anything better to do.

Hours ago when he had been told that he had been assigned to a mission with Hawkgirl as team leader, well to say that he was less than pleased was an understatement. She betrayed the League, because of her, Martial law was enforced on the planet; humans were forced into labour while others were injured and oppressed. Had he wanted to work with her? No, he hadn't, but he had learnt a few things on the trip, especially about her but more importantly he had come to know her side of the tale.

"How's your leg?" Shayera suddenly broke the silence, her eyes however never departed from the rotating planet.

"Fine," He said shrugging her off "Ah be good as new come mornin'. Can't be sittin' round the medbay mind, ain't good for yer."

The line of her lips softened slightly as if she might have smiled but nothing came of it but the return to the former silence of before. The quietness though gave him time to think, he pondered on the events that had transpired, of the things they had gone through as well as the things he had said to her. A part of him felt shame; it had become clear that she wasn't what everyone thought she was. For a moment or two he watched her from the corner of his eye, debating at the same time whether he should try to apologise for the things he had said at the very least.

"Listen...Hawkgirl-" He began slowly but she quickly overrode him.

"Vigilante," Her voice was firm and carried an edge, just enough to make him startle "If I have to tell you again, not to call me _that_." He could hear that her teeth were gritted and although she didn't elaborate, he decided that it was for the best.

Truthfully he didn't intend to keep referring to her as Hawkgirl, but he didn't feel comfortable calling her by her first name, it was hard for him to remove the hawk notion from her. Perhaps it was the resentment he still held at being captured and imprisoned during the invasion...his mind faltered as he remembered the tiny cell.

"I Jus' want ta say that I'm sor-" This time he balled his fists as she interrupted him a second time, but he swallowed down his frustration when he listened to what she had to say. It seemed that people didn't really take the time to _listen_ to her.

"Don't be..." Shayera paused for a long time, her eyes staring blankly out the window into the stars, "I'm the one that should be sorry."

He raised a dark eyebrow in mild surprise and was about to say something but she got there first. He decided that maybe this was the reason she had asked him here.

"What...What did they do to you?"

"Who?"

For the first time she turned to look at him and fixed her emerald eyes on him narrowing them slightly "Don't play dumb."

Carefully Vigilante lifted his hat off of his head and dusted it off aimlessly before replacing it, although tilting it up just enough so that he could still clearly see her.

"Would yer mind if we sit down?"

After she shook her head he limped awkwardly across to the slightly smaller observation window, a bench was situated in front of it and he was sure that he had seen her up here seated there on a number of occasions. Together they sat down; the Earth still in clear sight as he shifted to get comfortable and she pulled her wings in closer to prevent them from bumping him.

"Yer sure 'bout this?" He asked, maybe he wanted her to say no; maybe he didn't really want to tell her.

"I need to know."

Idly scratching his nose he took a deep breath "Ah right..." He paused again thinking "Were jus' as I said...they locked me up, the cell were tiny...smallest dang cell I'd ever seen."

He noticed her shiver and wondered if she was cold, but it was warm up here despite the chilling steel that surrounded them "You okay?" Vigilante asked.

"Yes...I'm fine."

"Is this why yer brought me up here? Jus' ta find out what they did ter me?"

This time she shook her head, slowly but with enough speed to send her red bangs in motion. "No, I wanted to..." Shayera looked up at him "I wanted to apologise...I never meant for you and Vixen to be in danger, not because of me."

Her voice had become soft with her last words and Vigilante found that he liked the slightly lower pitch to her voice compared to many other women, but he quickly shrugged off the notion.

"Tell me somethin'."

Once again she looked up at him, focusing her eyes on him as if she could see through him, almost as if she was searching for something. Understanding? Acceptance? He didn't know and he was starting to wonder why he was suddenly interested, maybe it was that sorrow in her eyes as if they were permanently full of tears.

"What?"

"Why were you so keen ter go back with 'em...seems ter me they be wanting to hurt yer."

Shayera shrugged dismissively "Vigilante...how would you feel if you betrayed your entire planet? How would you feel if only a handful of them lived because of a choice you made?" She looked back at the Earth as if seeing it there comforted her "I owe my people the right to judge me and punish me, my people are dead because of me."

A long pause passed between them as she shook her head again "Maybe I want to be punished for my actions; maybe my conscience demands it of me."

"Yer don't regret it...do you?" Vigilante focused on her hard, watching for her response.

"Which part?" It almost sounded light hearted but he could tell that on this occasion it was a brave face, he wondered how much of her was a brave face and how much of her outer demeanour crumbled when she was alone.

"Any."

"I don't regret what I did to save the Earth, that's what you really want to know isn't it?" When he didn't reply she continued on "Killing an entire planet is wrong." She leant forward bracing her elbows on her knees as she pressed her forehead against the palms of her hands "I know what people say, I know they think that I knew all along what was going to happen, I know that they think I didn't do anything to stop it."

There was another pregnant pause as she composed herself, it became clear to Vigilante that the rumours and theories hurt her; he could see that just by looking at her now.

"The truth is I didn't know. I didn't know what they were planning to do, and I did try to stop it. I tried to convince Hro, tried to make him find an alternative, I even fought him knowing that I couldn't beat him." She turned to him and fixed her stare on him again but this time for not as long as the previous times.

There was a sound below, people were talking and Vigilante was able to discern the voices, the Green Lantern was down there with Vixen, they were talking and Vixen was laughing. When Vigilante turned back to Shayera her eyes were closed but her pain and discomfort was clear.

"I'll bet you regret that, don' yer?"

This time her almost smile managed to appear as a slight quirk at the corner of her mouth "I do...I should have told him...Maybe it sounds selfish, but I want him back even though I can't have him."

"Ah don' think it ter be selfish." He sighed slightly "...Listen." He pulled his bandanna down past his mouth so that she could see his entire face, if she was surprised by what she saw she never indicated as much "...Shayera," He said her name slowly, still feeling uncomfortable "I don' know why yer've decided ter talk ter me, but you can talk ter me whenever yer want to."

"Why?" Her question was surprised, unsure and almost grateful at the same time, maybe she was tired of being alone with no one to confide in, maybe she just needed people around her, he'd noticed how she had almost expressed herself on that moon, but she had cut herself off changing her mind. Vigilante knew that he hadn't completely gotten over the ordeal he went through during the invasion but he knew deep down that she wasn't really to blame for what those Thanagarians did to him; maybe he felt that she just might have been punished enough.

_A whole world of people on her conscience, I'd say that's plenty._

"Dunno, but ah figure that it would benefit both of us. Maybe yer be wanting to apologise ter everyone that got hurt but yer not to blame for all of 'em, and ah figure that yer be worth gettin' ter know."

This time he was sure it was gratitude he could see in her eyes, relief too. "I really am sorry for what they did to you."

He waved his hand dismissively "It don' matter."

Shayera nodded slowly "Thank-you, Vigilante..."

"Greg, ma'am." He pulled his bandanna back up, covering his mouth.

She smiled "Fine, thank-you...Greg." her eyes landed on him again and focused on his for a long time, the intensity of her eyes almost made him turn away. Before he could however she moved, quicker than he had anticipated and she snatched his cowboy hat from his head.

"Do you wear this thing everywhere?"

Greg reached out in an attempt to recapture his hat but she deftly held it out of the way.

"Ma'am, ah be wanting that back."

A challenging eyebrow was raised "Only if you promise to call me by my name, not my former identity and not _ma'am_."

He couldn't help but notice that she never mentioned her former title, never had he heard her say 'Hawkgirl'. Really he wondered why but decided that he could ask at a later time, they had already discussed too many heavy topics for one night

"Fine," Greg replied trying to seem irritable but not really being successful "Ah be needing that back...Shayera."

A strange sound filled the upper level and Greg noticed that the voices below them ceased, Shayera was...laughing. She wasn't laughing heartily, nor was she trying too hard, it was a nice pleasant sound that only lasted a few moments. Despite her amusement Greg could still see the pain in her eyes; he could see that all of those souls were weighing heavily upon her. When she sobered she clumsily slapped his hat back onto his head and slowly allowed her smile to fade.

"Thanks again, Greg...really."

"Yer welcome...But remember what ah said...yer ever want ter talk-"

She interrupted him again and this time it didn't bother him.

"I know...Same time next week?"

"Yer got it." He replied and watched her take her leave, he didn't feel guilty when he realised how much he was looking forward to it.

**An/ Well there we are, I tried to keep their interactions subtle for this point in time, not just because I've not written them together before. But anyway let me know what you guys think and if you might like to see a little more on this later :)**


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